1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a three-dimensional optical waveguide and an optical communication system and particularly, relates to a three-dimensional optical waveguide wherein optical paths can be laid out in two or three dimensions, and to an optical communication system wherein the three-dimensional optical waveguide is employed.
2. Description of the Related Art
Recently layering two-dimensional optical waveguides to dispose the cores thereof in a three-dimensional lattice to form a plurality of optical buses to increase a communication capacity of an optical waveguide has been investigated (Publication of unexamined patent application Nos. JP1999-183747 and JP2004-177730). Further, an optical waveguide for connecting an optical device to an optical fiber, wherein a direction of an optical path is converted to a perpendicular direction, is proposed (JPCA Symposium ‘Advanced Packaging Technology for Optoelectronic Modules’). A mirror converting the direction of the optical path in a right angle is provided at one end of the optical waveguide.
The optical waveguides described in Publication of unexamined patent application Nos. 1999-183747 and 2004-177730 has cores extending in a straight line and thus, light can be introduced to one end and received at the other end. However, the optical path in the optical waveguide cannot be diverted to any desired directions.
Though in the optical waveguide shown in ‘Advanced Packaging Technology for Optoelectronic Modules’, an optical path can be diverted perpendicularly, for converting the optical path thereof to a further different direction, the optical waveguide needs to be connected to another optical path converting guide by an optical fiber or the like.